A NEW group could be set up to help safeguard and maintain a village beauty spot.

Middleton St George Parish Council has been told that it should look into the possibility of setting up a Friends group for The Front, at Middleton One Row, which will help it to attract future funding.

The news comes after the council succeeded in persuading Northumbrian Water to carry out a series of repairs to the green at Middleton One Row following work undertaken by the utility company.

At an earlier meeting, the council had looked into the possibility of beginning a large-scale maintenance scheme at the green and river banks in the village, which had become seriously overgrown over the years.

Lisa Locke, from environmental regeneration charity Groundwork, was invited to meet councillors and look at what needed to be done.

Councillor Brian Jones told the parish council: "Lisa suggested that when it comes to grants we should form a Friends of the Front, or a Friends ofMiddleton One Row, as we would be more likely to be eligible for grants than the council." A full report is being prepared, however it was suggested that some areas could be left to grow wild, while other areas, where there were benches in place, could be opened up to provide views of the river.

Parish council chairwoman Councillor Doris Jones said she had already been approached by a young resident who wanted to volunteer to carry out maintenance work in the area as part of his Duke of Edinburgh award.

Councillor Mike McBride said that staff at his employer, Cummins, regularly carry out voluntary work and he would approach them to see if they could help out in the new year.

Coun Jones told members that a long-running dispute with Northumbrian Water over repair work to the green at The Front, which had been damaged following installation of a sewage pipe, now appeared to be over.

She said the company had written to her to say that it would return in the spring to add topsoil and reseed the damaged green.

It would also plant daffodils in the green.

Coun Jones said: "They've been very fair and listened to all of our arguments.We must have had six meetings, but we're getting there now."